Sierra Leone minister arrested after accused of raping student

FREETOWN (Reuters) - A deputy minister in Sierra Leone has been sacked and arrested after he was accused of raping a student in his office, state radio said on Wednesday, citing a statement from the president's office.

Mamoudu Tarrawali, deputy minister for education, science and technology, was arrested in Freetown after the incident late on Tuesday, the radio said in a report announcing his sacking.

According to the radio station, the minister's security detail heard shouting coming from Tarrawali's office on Tuesday evening and they found him and a 16-year-old girl fighting.

She later filed a complaint at a police station near Tarrawali's ministry, the radio reported.

Tarrawali has not commented on the accusations.

Sierra Leone is recovering from years of war, during which fighters were accused of raping thousands of women and girls.